This England

This England is the quarterly magazine for all who love our green and pleasant land and are unashamedly proud of their English roots. Published since 1968 the magazine has now become one of England’s best loved magazines and has a readership of over 115,000 people from around the world. As well as being popular in England it outsells all other British heritage magazines in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and is sent to readers in every country of the world.
Published in Cheltenham, in the heart of picturesque Gloucestershire, the magazine is edited, printed and despatched direct from England. Subscribe today and celebrate all that is best about England and the English way of life.

‘ENGLISH BOOKS’

‘ENGLISH BOOKS’ (continued) LAWRIE BOND — MICROCAR MAN by Nick Wotherspoon (Pen & Sword £30) ISBN 9781-4738-58688 Described on the cover as “An illustrated history of Bond cars” this bright and colourful book is a motor enthusiast’s delight. Packed full of high-quality images, it traces the prototype right through to the popular sport and racing models. The cheaper versions were readily affordable to those unable to move higher up the automobile market and perhaps the Bond Bug is the bestremembered. There were many others, however, and all are included in this gem. (308pp, hardback) QE2 A 50th Anniversary Celebration by Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross (History Press £25) ISBN 9780-7509-70280 Alarge and lavish volume, befitting a lady of her age and fame. The many pictures tell her life story, from launch in 1967 through to retirement in 2008, with the whole wide world in between. (192pp, hardback) The first Bond Minicar (above) was a very different proposition to the later two-litre Equipe sports model (left) which was widely advertised abroad (see Lawrie Bond, Microcar Man). THE HORSE BOOK by Kathleen Walker-Meikle (Shire £8.99) ISBN 9781-4729-30842 Equine connoisseurs will be pleased with this miscellany of horses past and present, with many compelling pictures and anecdotes. (144pp, hardback) Roy Rogers and his faithful equine companion, Trigger, who learned more than 100 tricks (see The Horse Book). THE TEMPLARS The Rise and Fall of God’s Holy Warriors by Dan Jones (Head of Zeus £25) ISBN 9781-7818-58912 Hope, fanaticism, bravery, treachery and betrayal all figure in this account of the Knights Templars, in which the author chronicles the wealthiest, most powerful and secretive of military orders. (494pp, paperback) First published in 1915, An Alphabet of T.O.T. (Train, Omnibus and Tram) is a great little book of iconic Edwardian cartoons, and there is no need to be a transport enthusiast to enjoy it. (London Transport Museum, 32pp, paperback, £5.99) ISBN 9781-8718-29266 Football enthusiasts will welcome The Title, the Story of the First Division in which Scott Murray cherry picks memorable photos, players and events from 1888 until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. (Bloomsbury, 344pp, hardback, £16.99) ISBN 9781-4729-36615 Women in the Great War by Stephen and Tanya Wynn is an excellent appreciation of the work and achievement of the fairer sex during this terrible world conflict. (Pen & Sword, 144pp, paperback, £12.99) ISBN 9781-4738-344149 From Nationalisation to Privatisation, My Life on British Railways tells of Jack Turner‘s progression from railway cleaner to fireman, signalman and finally chief operation inspector. Several interesting personal stories bring the book alive. (Jacett, 224pp, paperback, £12.95) ISBN 9780-9576-87103 Natasha Sheldon’s The Little Book of Leicestershire is crammed with facts and anecdotes which make it a great bedtime read for everyone. (History Press, 192pp, hardback, £9.99) ISBN 9780-7509-67341 Letter D is for “Driver” and U is for “Underground” (see An Alphabet of T.O.T.). The Story of Kent by Anne Petrie relates the unfolding history of the county we know as “The Garden of England” where royalty, intrigue and hostile invaders have never been far away. (History Press, 224pp, paperback, £16.99) ISBN 9780-7509-67471 The majestic Queen Elizabeth 2 near the Opera House at Sydney Harbour (see QE2). 74 THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2017

Once a common sight at engine sheds, there are now just a handful of preserved turntables left in operation (see The Golden Age of Yorkshire Railways). In The Golden Age of Yorkshire Railways, Peter Tuffrey has assembled a large collection of high-quality black and white images, all social action shots, thus recreating the time when trains were the major form of transport. Highly recommended. (Great Northern, 192pp, hardback, £19.99) ISBN 9781-9121-01726 By way of contrast, Martyn Hilbert’s Network North West is a full-colour assessment of recent changes on the railways of Lancashire and Cheshire. (Fonthill, 128pp, paperback, £14.99) ISBN 9781-7815-56115 Building Stones and Stone Buildings of Staffordshire by P.A. Floyd may sound a narrow field but geologists and all interested in building materials will soon discover its relevance. (Arthur Stockwell, 348pp, paperback, £14.95) ISBN 9780-7223-45436 Lost Warriors is a truly devastating account of Major Hugh Seagrim and Cpl. Roy Pagani, the latter the only person to successfully escape from the dreaded Burma Death Railway during the Second World War. Both men are heroes, Seagrim, an SOE secret agent, helped the Karen Christian community in Burma but paid for it with his life, while Pagani, who also escaped from Dunkirk and Singapore, somehow made it back to England. A harrowing but worthy read. (Atlantic, 278pp, hardback, £20) ISBN 9781-9092-42852 Marianne North, a very intrepid painter is an exquisite collection of paintings by a remarkable Victorian artist who travelled the world, leaving a legacy unparalleled in botanical research. Most of her work is housed at Kew Gardens and is breathtaking in its colour, content and style. (Kew, 96pp, hardback, £15) ISBN 9781-8424-66087 Edited by Iain Hollingshead, Stop the World, I Want to Get Off is a superb collection of unpublished letters to The Daily Telegraph. There is no better way of relaxing after a long day than to sit down and have a quiet chuckle whilst browsing the wit and sarcasm of our fellow countrymen and women. Highly entertaining! (Aurum, 192pp, hardback, £9.99) ISBN 9781-7813-15453 Racing cars at full throttle (see Formula One Circuits from Above). In Pit Boy to Prime Minister, Graham Bebbington traces the life of Joseph Cook, who was born in Staffordshire and became a trade union leader before emigrating and becoming Conservative prime minister of Australia. (4edge, 100pp, paperback, £15) ISSN 0950-7345 Formula One Circuits from Above by Bruce Jones is a large coffee table book detailing 28 legendary race tracks in glorious colour, from both aerial and normal views. Supported by masses of facts and figures this is a must for every motor racing aficionado but will also please everyone who enjoys maps. (Carlton, 224pp, hardback, £25) ISBN 9781-7809-79830 British Railways in the 1960s: The Southern Region is a wonderful book of full-page colour photos by Geoff Plumb, which locospotters of the other three regions will also enjoy. A top transport book in every sense. (Pen & Sword, 168pp, hardback, £25) ISBN 9781-4738-23938 A rare double coconut tree in the Seychelles, one of many superb images to be found in Marianne North, a very intrepid painter. Three trains, a Portsmouth paddle steamer and, in the foreground, tramway tracks, all still in operation in 1964 at Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight (see British Railways in the 1960s — Southern Region). The Hurricane and Mosquito Pocket Manuals describe the production and full listings of all the aircraft produced for each marque during the Second World War. (Conway/Bloomsbury, 144pp, hardback, £18.99) ISBNS 9781-8448-863044 9781-8448-863068 A magnificent contrast between old and new at Wigan Wallgate station. In the background is the former Coops clothing factory which opened in the mid-19th century and supplied military uniforms. Closed in 1990 the building is now a business centre (see Network North West). THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2017 75